


Five Times the Avengers Used Clint's Nest For Their Own Ends, and One Time Clint Refused Them

by Sweety_Bird



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Fluff, Gen, Humor, Hurt/Comfort, Nests, implied Clint/Natasha - Freeform, implied Tony/Pepper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-30
Updated: 2013-06-01
Packaged: 2017-12-09 23:36:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 2,715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/779272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sweety_Bird/pseuds/Sweety_Bird
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What it says on the tin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Tony

He remembers the day they found out about it. All of the Avengers had been lounging in the living room, minding their own business when Clint's voice rang out above them. 

_"Change the channel, wouldja? I can't stand this lame excuse for television."_

Five heads swiveled as one, looking up to see a mass of.. Well, stuff. Clothes, pillows -one of his expensive pillows, damnit-, and just about anything that could possibly fit the definition of 'comfort' lodged firmly on a few ceiling beams in the corner. They had all scoffed at him, Bruce pointing out that psychologically he was nesting to feel safe and Tony making wisecracks about eggs and the like.

Clint insisted that is wasn't a nest, that in fact it was just somewhere he went to relax and soothe himself, to no avail. Eventually they left him alone about it- after all, it was just a pile of clothes.

Well, all things considered, Tony supposed he was glad Barton had a nest. Yes, he decided as he clambered up into it and hunkered down, very convenient for hiding from a vengeful girlfriend who wanted to drag him to a board meeting. That was no way in hell he was meeting with a bunch of pompous old socialites to discuss how much smarter he was than everyone else, even if he so enjoyed doing that.

Hearing the door creak open, Tony instinctively ducked down and tried to look inconspicuous. Surely she wouldn't check up here- oh god, was that a pair of boxers? He and Clint needed to have a serious talk, which was ironic considering who it was the archer would be having that talk with.

"Tony? Are you in here?" Pepper announced her entrance as she walked in, heels clicking on the tile floor. "Damnit Tony, I don't have time for this!" She said shrilly, making the grown man wince in his hiding spot. It was never good when Pepper used that voice. 

Sighing in frustration, the woman made to leave when movement caught her eye up above. 

Gazing up at the nest, she was silent for a moment before calling, "Clint? Sorry to bother you, but have you seen Tony?" 

The billionaire froze, praying to a god that he didn't believe in before answering gruffly in what he hoped sounded like Clint's voice, "Nope."

"Okay.. Thanks I guess," Pepper huffed, tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear before marching out, jaw set in determination.

Tony gave it two minutes before climbing down, a sigh of relief whooshed out of his chest at the close call. When he turned around, he nearly slammed into Clint, who was calmly eating an apple. 

"My voice isn't that deep," he remarked, moving past him and climbing up into the nest. Tony was rendered speechless for a moment before he shook himself and left, intending to spend the day any way he pleased- and certainly not in a board meeting.


	2. Bruce

Calm, that was what he needed, calm. A safe enviornment where he could simply relax without fear of being set off with ghastly consequences. Bruce generally kept his head level and his temper appeased.

Usually. When his teammates weren't bickering live nine year olds on X-Box Live (he will never play on that thing with Clint ever again. Period.). It started as a serious concern about Tony's self-destructive tendencies in battle. After a while though, everyone was just taking vicious shots at each other, pointing out flaws and just acting like children in general.

Right, time bomb. 

Endeavoring to stay out of it, the scientist quickly left the kitchen and sought a place where he could have a few moment's peace. After all, things could only get worse once Natasha got involved. 

Wandering into the living room, his roving eye caught on the swath of amassed junk in the corner. It would certainly be soft, he reasoned, not to mention secluded. Not only that, but he couldn't hear the infernal bickering from here. 

With a small shrug to himself, Bruce clambered up into the nest without falling and settled inside, resting his head on an old sweatshirt after a moment. Contrary to Stark's claims, it didn't actually smell up here. Shutting his eyes, the doctor attempted to calm his mind and put his arguing teammates out of it. He would just shut his eyes for a moment.

Later when Clint found the sleeping man in his favorite dwelling, he elected to leave him be as an apology.


	3. Steve

The medics said they checked him out, which he expected should have been it. Steve was used to taking orders from officials, or at least people who knew more about a situation than he did. Apart from malnutrition, he was supposed to be okay.

Steve didn't think about it often. He tried not to, really. This day and age, the times changing around him, all of it was enough to take his mind off of the people he left behind. 

It was just like any regular old Tuesday; wake up early, get dressed, go for a jog and return in time to fix breakfast. There was supposed to be a massive cold front the night prior, but Steve though nothing of it other than to bring a jacket. When the lobby doors opened and he was able to step outside for the first time, it was like getting hit by a truck.

All he could feel was cold, biting cold and snow whipping him violently in the face, an anxiety attack seizing him. This was no longer New York, this was the Arctic Sea, his aircraft was sinking around him and he could do nothing but flounder in the all-enveloping cold..

His thoughts a jumble of post-traumatic stress and panic, the Captain sprinted back inside and shot up the stairs two at a time, running and running from the searing chill that seemed to pull at his bones. He couldn't get lost again, not for another seventh years, god how he hated the cold-

Bursting into the Avenger's main floor, he scrambled for anything, anything at all to warm him and chase away the cold that seemed to haunt him even inside the warm tower. Without even processing what he was doing, Steve had taken to Clint's nest, huddling and shivering as he pulled articles of clothing and fabric over him. He just had to get warm.

After a few terror stricken minutes, the chill seemed to dissipate as warmth seeped in, cocooning and soothing him in his agitation. Eventually sense came back to him, and he could unfurl his clenched fists. The nest proved to be more comforting than he thought- it was familiar, and he soon realized that each of them had an item up here that Clint had taken. A sock from Bruce, an old band shirt from Tony, and he swore that sweatshirt was his. Despite the fact that everyone was sleeping, they were all here, really. A piece of them, his friends, but it was enough. He may be lost in time, but he was warm here, and he was safe.


	4. Natasha

Contrary to popular belief, Natasha and Clint did _not_ have sex in his nest. For one thing, that would be incredibly disgusting considering Clint wouldn't wash everything he had up there (no matter how much the others asked him to). Secondly, neither of them would admit to or deny being in a relationship with one another. If someone asked, they would get a raised eyebrow or a smirk, followed by the subject being changed. It was an improvement from getting a haircut via Natasha's throwing knives.

That being said, when no one could find the Black Widow one day, only one person thought to check the nest. He didn't mention it to the others, simply left them to their own devices and walked into the living room. Sure enough, as he clambered up into the safe haven he had built for himself, he was greeted with a hunched form and a flash of red hair.

Wordlessly Natasha held out the bottle of vodka she'd been drinking from, her gaze never leaving the wall. Clint accepted it silently, taking a swig despite the awful taste and setting it aside. They had both been pretty messed up at the news of Coulson's death, but none moreso than Natasha. Clint knew why. Even though he had rescued her that day long ago, had held out his hand and offered another option, it was Coulson whose word was law. And even though he was furious with Clint for bringing in the Black Widow, the deadliest assassin in the world, he had not ordered her execution. He had offered her a chance. A new life, one where she had the option to walk away if she wanted. And he had partnered her with Clint, for a while the only agent at S.H.I.E.L.D. who didn't skirt her path and shoot her scathing glances. 

He hadn't just been their handler. He had been their friend. So, when Natasha leaned against him, Clint simply wrapped an arm around her and held her close. Just for a little while they could pretend, pretend that it was just them and a nest, and that eventually they would get called to base for a debrief with Coulson.


	5. Thor

In hindsight, they probably shouldn't have said anything. No, not probably, they definitely shouldn't have said anything. 

_"The enchanted box amuses me. Might we watch another of your Midgardian.. Films?" Thor asked in what he probably assumed was an indoor voice. No one sat within two feet of him for this reason._

_As luck would have it, a commercial aired on the screen, causing the god to fall silent as he watched, enraptured. It was a typical Disney commercial, advertising the return of a popular movie to DVD. "These people.. They are locking a film away? Is it worth great value?" He asked, and it was clear that the cogs were turning in the big guy's brain._

_It was Clint who answered him. "No buddy, they just choose certain times to sell it before you can't buy it anymore. They're going to stop selling it," he explained, watching as Thor jumped to his feet. "Then we must watch this-" he paused to squint at the screen "-Bambi!"_

_No one wanted to say no and really, how much harm could one movie do?_

\---------------

"Any ideas?" Tony's question went unanswered as the Avengers stared up at the nest. Seeing Thor cry was one thing, watching him run away and hide was a whole new story. 

"Thor, it was just a movie," Bruce coaxed, trying to be gentle. The resulting wail made them collectively wince. "It was most assuredly not! The.. The mother.. Why would the hunters comit such a crime to an innocent creature?" Thor demanded, his large frame hunched over in the nest. Clint was fairly certain he was cuddling one of his sweatshirts.

Exchanging glances, everyone silently tried to elect someone who would go up and attempt to cheer him up. Eventually they all teamed up on Clint - he was the one who spoke up in the first place - and sent him into the nest, where he was able to coax Thor down finally after explaining that the creatures weren't real, and that they all lived happily ever after in 'Valhalla'. Anyone who mentioned Bambi 2 would get locked in a closet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eeeeee- I'm not very skilled with Thor.


	6. Clint's Dilemma

When the spell hit and Clint disappeared, everyone feared the worst. Loki was a devious son of a bitch- he would kill Clint without batting an eyelash, and there was no way of knowing if that was his intention.

Tony reached the top of the building just as Natasha was searching the bottom. 

"He didn't fall- no sign of him down here," she said into her comm., working to keep her calm. Sure, it shouldn't be any different than if, say, Thor went down, but it was. It was, and he'd better not be dead because she would bring him back to life just so she could kill him herself for dying on her. However, that particular train of thought was cut off as Tony spoke again.

"Uh, guys? You're gonna wanna see this." 

\-------------------------------------------------------------

"A child? You're telling me that Loki turned him into a child?" 

No one really knew what to say. Most of them were avoiding Nick Fury's infamous stink eye, though Steve, bless him, stood up straight with his eyes front as though it was his fault and he took responsibility. 

"Knocked him off his perch, sir. There was no way for him to avoid the spell," the Captain replied, bravely meeting the man's one-eyed gaze. Even Tony was behaving for once- you know, after he laughed his ass off. The child in question was currently hiding behind Natasha's leg, peeking out fearfully at the scary man who was shouting. She couldn't blame him; if she was six, she'd be scared of Fury too. 

"It's okay," she murmured, carding her fingers through his hair. He seemed to remember them to an extent, though he clung to Natasha like the plague. He wouldn't let anyone else near him, scared as he was of them all. It looked like the Director was about to launch into a tirade, so she quickly interrupted,

"Sir, permission to take him back to the tower? He's freaking out."

The man in the trenchcoat turned his gaze on Clint and stared at him as though seeing him for the first time, then nodded surreptitiously. "Keep an eye on him, Romanoff. Don't let him get into any trouble."

She nodded quickly and took the youngster's hand, leading him out of the room with the knowledge that she was probably getting out of a big lecture. Maybe this did have a bright side.

\--------------------------------------------------------------

 _"Keep an eye on him, Romanoff. Don't let him get into any trouble."_ Easier said than done, she thought. "Clint! Come down from there," she demanded, hands on her hips and a steely resolve in her eye. The moment she turned her back on him he was up in the nest, dimples showing as he grinned down at her.

"Nope!" He crowed, revealing a slingshot and drawing back. She quickly sidestepped the wadded up, dirty sock he had launched her way and gave him a dangerous look. 

"You don't want me to come up there and get you. It won't be pretty," she threatened, and damnit Clint, of course the kid was just like him. In response the boy just chortled, waving a pair of underwear at her.

"Do it!" She knew for certain that she did not fancy being smacked in the face with his dirty briefs. Turning on her heel, she sighed as he cheered his victory and stalked over to the couch. Whatever, let the kid sit there until he fell asleep. If only.

Two hours later and he still wouldn't come down. They'd all been pelted with dirty socks and other various small items; Tony was nursing his eye where he'd been hit with a rock and threatening the kid silently under his breath. Natasha sincerely hoped that Pepper had no intention of getting pregnant any time soon. 

"Young Eye of Hawk, please desist! We only wish what is best for you," Thor tried to reason, taking a step closer. There was a muffled 'Never!' followed by a barrage of paper clips forcing the god to shield his face and back away. The red headed assassin had already given up at this point and was lounging in an armchair, flicking through a magazine. 

"Just leave him. He's being stubborn," she sighed, not deigning to look up. Gradually they all filtered out, leaving him to his own devices. When he finally realized that his victims would not be returning, Clint slowly and quietly climbed down, as though waiting for someone to charge him. When Natasha didn't look up, he very gradually worked his way over until he was sitting in her lap, peeking at the pages she was reading. She only acknowledged his presence with a ruffle of his hair, and a small smile.

Later she would wake up as his suddenly not-so-young body was crushing her, though she simply shrugged and went back to sleep.


End file.
